


Everything has changed

by Sleepingcurse_23



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Love From OQ 2021 | Outlaw Queen Secret Admirer 2020 (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:01:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29425677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepingcurse_23/pseuds/Sleepingcurse_23
Summary: They met when everything was against them to be together but the more they try to stay away from each other the more they fall in love. But being together is against the rules. What it will be: their careers or their love?Written for Love from OQ 2021
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Robin Hood
Comments: 6
Kudos: 3





	Everything has changed

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this is my Valentine’s gift for @cruellasdarling (on Twitter) for the Love From OQ 2021.  
> This is the first time I take part in this, I hope I haven’t done it completely wrong and that I’ve written something you like.  
> I’ve done a bit of research for this but I’ve also taken some liberty here so some things could not be like this in real life.  
> A huge thank you to my amazing betareader @LaNaniuska!  
> Happy Valentine’s day everyone!!

Everything has changed

Regina was tired, tired and hot. She really hated the desert. She was also thirsty, but she didn't want to leave the little shadow space she had found, where she was lying. It was such a rare occasion when she could do that. The question was: getting up to get water or stay there? 

That was a big dilemma, fortunately one she didn’t have to answer because a bottle of water appeared on her line of vision.

“You look thirsty.” A male voice with a strong accent said.

Regina squeezed her eyes, trying to focus on the man who was bringing her water, but she could only see his deep blue eyes.

Getting up, she grabbed the bottle to take a big gulp. “Thank you, sir.” 

“Robin is enough for now, we’re alone and it’s nothing official. So, what’s your name lieutenant Mills?”

“Regina.” She answered smiling.

“Captain Locksley!” Not from far a voice called out. “Colonel Spencer is looking for you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right there.”

“Can I see you later lieutenant?” Those damn blue eyes, Regina thought.

“We’ll see Captain, we’ll see.” She said smiling shyly and looking down.

She played with the bottle she had in hands, still smiling while she looked at him walking away.

She didn’t see him that night and neither did the next one, both of them engaged in some kind of work. 

“Is this seat taken?” 

Robin looked up from that poor excuse of food plate that was in front of him. Right in front of him there was a brunette, the same beautiful brunette he had given water a couple of days prior. 

“Not for you. Please.” He said pointing at the seat and getting up. He sat back after her, as his father has always taught him, _‘like a gentleman’_ he would always say. 

They ate quietly for a while before Robin tried to break the ice. 

“So, how are you?”

She smiled, looking down. “Ah well, let’s see. We’re in the middle of nowhere in a war zone, this food is terrible and it’s hot as hell but yeah, I’m good. And you?” 

Robin laughed. How was he? He was having lunch with a beautiful woman but he couldn't say that to her, so he went with the classic. “I’m fine, the weather is hot and everything, but yes I’m fine.” 

That was how it started. They began to spend time together whenever they could, talking about themselves and their lives when they were alone, and being professional when they needed to be. They knew there cannot be more than a friendship between them, since fraternization isn’t allowed in the army.

Everyone saw the change in them but no one said anything, after all, they were just friends, so there was really nothing to report, or at least they hoped.

“Locksley!” Colonel Spencer called from his position next to the commander's tent. 

Robin jogged to him and did the military salute. “Yes, Sir?”

“We need to talk.”

“About what Sir?”

“I think you know, Captain.” 

Robin keeps it quiet. He was thinking about what the Colonel wanted to talk about, but nothing came to his mind. 

“You really have no idea?” The Colonel was a bit surprised at his response. 

“No, sir.” Robin was genuinely confused.

“Really? So you have nothing to say about you and Lieutenant Mills?”

“We’re friends sir, nothing more.” Even if I wish there was more, Robin thought. 

“Whatever it is or not, I don’t care. You know the rules Captain. I would be careful if I were you, I’ve heard voices that I don’t particularly like about it.” 

“Of course, Sir.”

“You’re dismissed Captain.” 

After the military salute Robin left. That night he didn’t sleep well. He kept thinking about the conversation. 

Yes, he and Regina were spending time together but it wasn’t like they had a lot of free time. He ate with her, he joked with her, but he does the same with Will, his best friend on the front and at home. 

Recalling the moments they spent together, he couldn't remember a moment where they crossed the line, so what was the Colonel talking about? Where was the problem? Why would someone say something like this? And why?

Regina was eating her rather sad breakfast while Robin told her about the conversation, and that he couldn’t understand what had brought that up since they hadn’t done anything. 

“Really, mate?” Will intervened with his mouth full of food. A glare from Regina told him that it was better that he swallowed before speaking again. Geez, she was worse than his mother. “If I have to describe your face when you look at her, or you think or speak about her, I would use the emoji with the heart eyes.”

Will was the jester of the group, a teen in the body of an adult, but the most loyal man you could ask for. He was there for everything, the good, the bad and of course, to embarrass Robin. Especially if a woman was involved.

Robin let out an indignant _Will!_ while Regina laughed at the image.

“Not much to laugh about here, Mills. You’re not any better than him, but at least you’re better than him at hiding it.” At this, Regina’s mouth fell open. 

When Will went back to his food, Regina's mouth was still open and Robin was moving his like he was a fish. 

Since that day, they tried to avoid being alone, and when they couldn’t, they limited their time together. 

But the more they tried to avoid it, the more they began to fall for each even more. They began to exchange messages like two kids at school, writing what they had to say on a piece of paper, leaving it in a safe place. When they weren’t able to exchange it, they used Will as intermediary.

‘Like that wasn’t suspicious’ Regina told Robin, but they did anyway.

Things had already changed a lot, even if they didn’t want to admit it when she was sent home before him and that was both a god and a bad thing. She was ready to go home, she missed her friends, her parents and her house, but she didn’t want to leave him. 

With her going home, they could be a bit more open about their relationship, but always within reason. He didn’t want her to leave, but at the same time he was relieved she was going home. At least she would be safe there. Well, safer than in a war zone, as he wasn’t so naive as to believe that there were no dangers back home.

Their goodbye was strange, but for them it meant everything.

“Regina I-” Robin began.

“I know.” She replied.

He would have gladly taken her in his arms to hug her then, but it wouldn’t have been the friendly hug they were used to exchange. So, since they couldn’t really do it like they wanted, their little exchange had to do. It meant more than just the words they spoke.

They were still nothing to one another. They couldn’t really date in a military base, not when both of them were officers in active service. But for her birthday, he sent her a bouquet of her favorite flowers, black roses and sunflowers. She was his friend after all, and that was an innocent present.

“What are you smiling at? What does that card say? And who sent those flowers?” Ella, her best friend, said from Regina’s couch, sipping from her glass of wine. Her best friend wasn’t in the army so she was lucky she was stationed in the same city where Ella lives.

“You are full of questions tonight, Cruella.” Regina answered back smirking, still clutching the card.

“I let the fact that you used that awful name pass because it’s your birthday, but don’t push it.”

Ella didn’t wait for an answer and getting up from the couch, she took the card out of Regina’s hand, who let out an ‘ _Hey!_ ’ before giving up trying to take back it back. She grabbed her glass of wine instead.

_Happy birthday beautiful,_

_I can’t wait to see that elusive but satisfying smile I think about every time I close my eyes._

_Love,_

_Robin_

“Really? You couldn’t find a man that was less corny?”

“What is wrong with that? I like sweet things, just not too much sweet. This is the right amount of sweetness. And I think the fact that he sent me flowers while he’s still on the other side of the world is really sweet.” It was also really sweet the fact that he remembered which flowers were her favorites, but she kept that for herself.

“Who are you? What have you done with my Regina? We used to laugh at people like this and now you are one of them?”

“I’ve met an amazing man, that’s all.” She said, smiling and biting lightly a side of her lip. 

“Oh boy, you’re in deep.” She muttered and she went back directly to the bottle of wine instead of her glass. 

Regina just smiled. It was the truth, but there was no way she was going to admit to Ella that she was right.

The black haired woman called Robin the next day to thank him for the flowers. They talked about how good it was to finally be home. How he was and how Will was. And how they missed each other. 

They talked as much as they could; who knows when they would be able to talk again.

It was incredible, they both thought, how in so little time they both came to care so much for one another. And they weren’t officially together yet. 

But Robin’s intention was to not waste more time: as soon as he was sent home he was going to ask to be officially his girlfriend and why not, maybe his wife too.

“Slow down mate!” Will, who was listening to his rambling friend, said. “You two aren’t even together yet, you have time before thinking about marriage.”

“I don’t need time. I already know she’s the one.” Robin replied with a stupid smile on his face.

For the next two weeks, their life went on normally. Robin and Will still at the front and Regina at home training. 

When Regina looked at the calendar that morning she realized that it was just a week before Valentine’s Day. Should she get something for Robin or not? At the end she decided to buy something, but to give it to him when he was home: the first picture they took together in a frame. It didn’t matter that they were in their military uniform, Regina loved that photo and she really hoped he liked it too.

What Regina didn’t know, was that Robin was preparing a surprise for her. 

When it was confirmed that Robin and the rest of his unit were going home, he immediately started to plan a way to surprise the lieutenant. 

With Will’s help, he didn’t want to know how sometimes it was better being clueless, Robin was able to get in touch with Ella to organize the whole thing. 

Convincing Regina to go to a bar Valentine’s day night was harder then what Ella thought, but they made it. Now she “just” had to make sure Regina stays there until her man arrives. 

They were late, so so late. For some technical problem, their plane took off later than expected and now they were almost three hours late. Robin just hoped Regina was still there. 

“Let’s go home Ella, it’s late.” the lieutenant said, trying to hide a yawn.

“No, we can stay a bit more. The band is still playing, we can drink another cocktail or two and then we go home.”

“Are you sure everything is fine?”

“Yes, of course it is. Why wouldn't it be fine? Everything is fine.” She rambled as she took a sip of her drink. Everything would be amazing if that man of yours would bring his ass down here, but Ella kept that thought for herself.

“You’re being more weird than usual.”

“Always a pleasure being out with you. I’ll toast to that.” They both burst into laughter.

Finally when she didn’t know what else she could come up with to stay there, Ella received the much expected text: ‘We’re outside.’

‘We are at the bar counter. Come inside and do what you have to do.’

“I’m going to the bathroom. Wait here for me and then we can go.”

Regina just nodded her head to acknowledge her before going back to look at her phone. She knew she had no right, but she had hoped for Robin to contact her, even if it was just with an heart emoji. After that; she knew she had definitely spent too much time with Will.

Robin saw her as soon as he put a foot into the bar. She was wearing a black three quarter sleeves dress that left very little to the imagination, black heels and she had left her hair down. For Robin she was a vision. 

Will spotted Ella near the bathroom so he walked to her to leave the two lovebirds alone. 

Regina’s vision went black suddenly and if it wasn’t because she recognized his voice and his amazing forest scent (how he was able to have it even in the desert, she didn’t know but she loved it) she could have hurt that person badly. 

“Wanna try to ‘guess who’ before you kill me in two moves?” 

He didn’t even finish that sentence when Regina was already throwing herself in his arms and putting her arms around his neck.

“Surprise, beautiful.” He whispered in her ear. 

In response she tightened her grip and buried her face in the crock of his neck. 

He let her go after what felt like seconds, but it was actually more, wiping away the tears that were on her face. Then he kissed her.

“That’s why you didn’t want to leave?” She said when Ella and Will came to them. And really Regina, you couldn’t have asked something more obvious. 

“Yes. And everything would have been perfect, if the two misters here were on time.” 

“It’s not our fault if the plane didn’t take off in time.” Will fired back and he took a sip of the beer he had just ordered. 

They stayed there in silence for a while, Regina still in Robin’s arms, finishing their drink. 

Regina looked up at Robin, who as soon ad be felt observed, looked down at her.

“Happy Valentine, love.”

“Happy Valentine.”

She went to kiss him, but Robin stopped her before their lips could touch.

“Would you be my girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

At her answer, it was Robin the one who started the kiss. They only pulled away when their lungs began to burn for the lack of oxygen. 

Ella and Will just watched, both happy for their friends. 

Someone behind them cleared their voice. “I’m sorry to interrupt this reunion, but we’re about to close.” 

They excused themselves, making their way out. 

Will and Ella said their goodbyes and went in two different directions, each to their respective houses, while Robin and Regina were still lost in each other's eyes. 

“Your house or mine?” Robin knew he was pushing it, but he asked anyway.

“Mine.” She said, as it was the most natural thing in the world. “You haven’t been home in ages, I don’t even want to begin to imagine how much cleaning there’s to do.” She said laughing. 

The pair made their way into the taxi they called, still cuddled into one another. 

Tomorrow they would worry about the protocol and what they had to do to make sure their relationship had a future, but tonight it was Valentine’s Day and they were going to enjoy it as much as they could. 

Years later, next to their first picture together, there were the photos of their wedding as well the photos of their three beautiful children: Margot Valentine, the oldest, Roland Will, and Henry Daniel, the youngest of the family. 

The youngest human if you also count the two little Labrador puppies that Robin had given her as a gift for Valentine’s Day. 

In that moment, when her kids were on the floor playing with one puppy and her husband was cuddling next to her while she petted the other one, Regina couldn’t be happier to have been dismissed early from the army. 

  
  
  



End file.
